Bhor Rajwada

It was a mid April afternoon when we reached Bhor Rajwada. The day was hot , the sun blistering. As we got down from vehicle the view offered was pretty ordinary and simple. In a circular arrangement stood two storyed structures with verandah running in front of them. In the middle of circle was a park with dried grass and a thirsty fountain structure. Along it was a small temple. Most of the rooms of buildings housed some government offices, offices of certain political parties etc. It was a day after Holi so most of the offices were closed . We surveyed the scene with a little bit of disappointment creeping in. However on our right side we noticed a gate through which we had a glimpse of flowing river.With the blazing sun pouring above that calm stretch of water was such an inviting view that we felt drawn towards it and started walking in the direction. this is river Neera.

Beyond the gate and wall the steps lead to water. Two or three women in bright sarees were washing clothes at the last step . Their voices floated to us like humming of bees.now and then voices from other banks echoed. Leaves of ages old Peepal tree standing on the bank rustled soothingly. The quiet afternoon filled heart with calm and peace. On the left side a door opened to Radha Krishna temple. The interior of temple was semi dark and cool. San any ostentatious pretension it touched the purest of emotions. All the worries and tensions of daily life  as if dissolved and feelings of completely surrendering myself to some unknown, unseen power made my being weightless. I can neither decipher nor explain such experiences but they always make me feel that there is more to life that we can define, see and feel. Something surreal eludes the grasp but makes it's existence feel with thumping certainty.

After that we visited Bhor Rajwada. We sat on the steps of the outer courtyard  for some time, then the care taker arrived and opened the gate from inside to let us in. Rajwada is quite grand. I shall let the pictures talk about that. Care taker informed us that now a days the Rajwada is used mainly for the shooting of various bollywood and marathi movies, the latest one being Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Baji Rao Mastani.There are many layers of corridors, rooms opening one behind another on both sides of courtyard. There is a Ram mandir inside Rajwada. The care taker informed us that on Ram Navami many people visit here as grand ceremonies, pooja  are organized on the occasion.The inner rooms were dark, empty but every wall, every corner has it's own story to tell. Way back in the past it must have experienced different kind of life and now it gets decorated with different kind of sets every now and then. Many stories are enacted, emotions displayed . It experiences whirlwind of activities for some time and after every pack up it once again stands in solitude and life moves on.

On the threshhold of Radha Krishna temple on the bank of neera river

River Neerra

all the pictures by Sunder Iyer

Location--- Bhor is about forty kilometer from Pune in Maharashtra.
Other places of attraction in Bhor --- Bhatghar Dam in bhor
Best time to visit-- From scenic beauty point of view as is the case with entire Maharashtra monsoon is the best season when green hills and surging waters make the surroundings enchanting.

'' Learn to be innocent again and that freshness never fades''

First day of the year. We decided to spend the day in a nearby village. There is this primary school at the verge of the village. The kids there were in celebration mood. I feel children are always in that mood…….happy , bubbling, laughing , infusing others with a kind of positive energy. In their innocence every child is a source of light and love and if we permit them they can teach us to be the same. We lived that happiness, experienced same joy while spending time with the children.


The air had a slight wintery nip. The children had collected  fallen twigs and branches on the roof top, preparing for winters. They threw down some of the twigs and fire was arranged in open. The crackling fire spread the warmth while kids around filled the surrounding with their continuous chatter and laughter. Ah, what a lovely, cozy feel it was.


As it was first day of the year, head mistress and teachers of the school had planned to celebrate the birthday of the children falling on the day. The ‘cake of Halwa’ was prepared fresh there in school kitchen only. The  toppings  on the cake was of bright colored gems. Room was decorated with festoons  of used  papers and were made by students. The caps for birthday girls were made by their friends out of thrown away pizza boxes etc, complete with shining papers etc. I felt like basking in glorious sunshine.




A pen-pencil holder made of used bangles, wall hanging from used match boxes and bangles, the green branches in the flower vase carved out of empty water bottles…..it was really delightful to see the creativity of the children. under the proper guidance of the teachers who are committed and involved true potential of children can be explored fully. Resources and facilities play an important role but shortcomings of these can be overcome by zeal, perseverance and honest intentions.

Swinging on the hanging roots of the big banyan tree was the loveliest fun time. The pure joy, the ringing laughter had a cathartic impact on heart. I am sure no expensive ride in any big amusement park can fill the heart with the kind of happiness we all felt under the benevolent shade  of that majestic tree.




The lemon-spoon race………after a very long gap enjoyed it. Kids in city no more enjoy such fun-filled competitions.



Our day at the village ended with lunch of hot fresh poori, kachauri, chapati and green chuteny. Some desi dishes of fresh milk were very tasty.
We returned to our homes refreshed, energized with a promise to ourselves to spend  more such days  but some where deep down lurks a sadness…….We are loosing our villages very fast, the concrete jungles are gulping down the shady trees, the green fields.

pictures by Sunder Iyer




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A morning in a village on hills of West Bengal

 While travelling from Ryshop to Kelimpong we stopped at this village for breakfast and tea. On the side of the road was a small shop. A middle aged lady was managing the shop. She was selling every thing from eatables to medicines, from bangles bindis to diapers.In her small shanty she had arranged everything. At one corner near a small window was placed a plastic table and two- three chairs. here she served noodles, momos to travelers. She was lively, hospitable and by talking to travelers from all parts of country has gathered quite a good knowledge of geography and customs and rituals of far off states. The village was perhaps named Ladam. On one side of road were few houses while others could be seen in the valley nestled between greenery . From here one road climbed up towards Lava. Our driver told us that while going we had took that road. The day had just begun. Clouds were rising slowly from valley, starting their journey to the high spiral of stately pines and then beyond .This gentleman sitting between two houses was perhaps trying to shake off his slumber.

 

On the road cattle were up and ready to go to green meadow. Women folk had slowly geared up to their day's chores. The boy in blue t-shirt. I forgot his name but I had a long chat with him. He was student of twelfth standard, commerce stream. I was quite impressed by his awareness level. He knew all about other state boards syllabus and pattern and had a fair idea about career option open to him. Living in  a village in remote hills with few houses, walking on foot daily to his college ...what was his source of update information I wondered.

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Most of the youngsters of the village  were quite smartly dressed. Besides the young boy I talked earlier this girl standing besides Sunder too was very confidant and dressed in tight fitting jeans with a leather jacket to compliment it.She too was resident of  Ladam only.

He is Ganesh, student of class seventh.He too walks miles to his school.

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This is the temple in the valley.

We might have stopped here for an hour or so but from hot, delicious breakfast, interacting with village residents to enchanting nature, I loved every bit of it.

Loleygaon

Loleygaon is a small Lepcha village. It lies at the altitude of approximately 1670 meters.Loleygaon is about 124 Km from New Jalpaiguri. It takes about four hours to reach Loleygaon by road from NJP via Kelimpong. From Lava, Loleygaon is about 24 Kms away. It comes under the Kelimpong 1 block in the Darjleeng district  of West Bengal.

Loley gaon has few wonderful points to enjoy the beauty of Kanchenjunga range and sunrise but as we visited the place in rainy season, we did not go there. We could not walk even on the famous hanging bridge as due to heavy rains it was closed on the day we visited there .

But due to abundance of surreal clouds walking from all sides we enjoyed an entirely different beauty of the famous Loleygaon forest. A long stretch of road passing through exuberant jungles on both the sides was bumpy, strewn with pebbles .Giant sized trees  with moss covering their boles stood there with arms widely outstretched. Wild creepers hung from branches and swing from tree to tree.Wet moss grew even on creepers hanging downward. It felt like traveling back in time, ages back at the time of the planet being uninhabited. The grey white clouds swirling in the forest created a mysterious world.Rain lashed on the window panes with wild  fury perhaps it did not like our intrusion into the solemn world of nature.

Forest from a distance appeared one green,grey, white like vast expanse of ocean but come closer and it broke into different forms--- fresh, radiant green ferns standing tall like trees and bushes, gracefully curved tall bamboos like explosion of green, stealthily tip toeing lights and shadows, fallen trees and above all the pulsating stillness , the complete silence yet alive with anticipation. A twig snapped somewhere, someone scurried unseen, a shrill voice of unknown bird exploded across entire jungle

 Loleygaon forests cast spell. They not only engulf you, swallow you but they step inside you, they  spread within and then everything else fades in the background .

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                                                               varied moods of Loleygaon forest

                                               The hanging bridge, the canopy walk{ we missed walking on it as it was closed on that day}

These above three are the pictures of a monastery[ rather it was more like a temple of Buddha] and a temple on our way from Lava to Loleygaon. Barring a very small shrine dedicated to Lord Hanuman on a roadside rock on way to Kolakham from New Jalpaigudi this was the first temple we came across during our travels. The shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva but these two shivlingas with nagas are erected in open.The temple can be seen behind Buddha's statue in the first picture. Standing Buddha too is very rare. May be it's a monastery in making. This place was referred to us by the lady of the eatery at Lava where we had our breakfast.


Pictures by Sunder Iyer.

Monastery at Lava

Jamgon Kongtrul Monastery

A soft and cooling air breathed along the solitary corridors. The sunlight  filtering into the prayer hall through  windows tinged the ornamented roof and massive red pillars with a thousand various tints of light and colours:  Universal silence prevailed around. The calm of the moment and tranquility of the place contributed to nourish.the peaceful solemnity of mind. We were the only ones in the vast spacious prayer hall of Jamgon Kongtrul Monastery at Lava, West Bengal.

In 1987 Buddhist community present in Lava offered  about 3 acres of land to the third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche for building a monastery for the local community of lava and now it's a very well maintained monastery thriving with various spiritual activities, discourses, workshops etc.

I had read somewhere that in ancient Sumerian a standing statue with folded hands was placed on the top of a temple high above the village. This statue  in continuous prayer mode reperesented the common who could not get enough time to devote to pray God as he is busy with the activities necessary for his survival, necessary for running his day to day life, In Buddhism the monks living in monasteries and viharas pray on behalf of the common man.







 There were two prayer halls facing each other. These halls were adorned with multi coloured bright and intricate murals and frescos. The images on ceiling, walls, and pillars did not appear to be of merely decorative purpose.  I felt that their significance goes beyond the aesthetic beauty. Each of them tried to impart some lesson perhaps, conveyed some deeper reality. Against the rear wall  were enshrined the idols of  Buddha and others[ Buddhas or Bodhistavas, I don't know] in meditative postures, resplendent in Gold, eyes closed, total calm and serenity exuding from their being. The idols felt so alive. Looking at those faces I felt like being transcended to another realm.

 In between these halls was open compound while on the back was a building in which classes for monks were being conducted. Behind this frontal area down the stairs were residential accommodations of monks and a  room with two huge prayer wheels.Around the room on the outer wall were smaller prayer wheels.

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                                                   Residential buildings for the monks.

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Inside the room with big prayer wheels. One can be seen on the left side in the picture.

                                              Exterior of the rooms with the prayer wheels,

 A long shot the room with prayer wheels. We can see it at the back end. Behind that lay the Lava town.These white colored bells in row stood on the wall . Below is picture of lower portion of that wall.

 In Buddhism this unique way of chanting prayer/ mantra while going on rotating the wheels.....what does it signifies? Does it signify setting the universal forces in motion? Or it symbolizes  the cosmic rotation of planets on their axis, revolving of all the planets around the sun, on which depends the existence of  our entire universe? All these questions are arising in my mind while I sit at home penning my memories of the travel but when in monastery, be it prayer halls or open spaces questions did not even occur. There it was total acceptance , surrender and serenity. Such was the aura of the place.

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I sat on the bench in open facing the distant range of mountains.The delicious wind brought the fragrance of unknown virgin blossoms. The clouds  as if being boiled in a big cauldron rose from invisible valley and hid the distant mountain range, while another caravan of clouds descended from the other end and floated hurriedly to embrace others. The suddenness  of changing forms  and shapes was overwhelming. A divine drama was being enacted on vast open stage and I sat there engrossed, completely forgetting myself, letting myself be merged with it. Felt like a bird soaring high, free and far away.
I had read somewhere that in Tibetan Buddhism white cloud,which can assume any form is regarded as a symbol of mind .It is considered to be the ideal medium to  create the enraptured mind. Perhaps that is why most of the monasteries were established in the lands of clouds. I do not  know much about Buddhism and it's ways but sitting there that day experienced the spell of clouds and abandoned myself to their realm.

When we entered the monastery sky was loaded with dark clouds. Monastery tucked midst the floating clouds looked mystique and unapproachable and while returning dazzling blue sky smiled upon us. Multi colored prayer flags fluttered in wind rising higher and higher. Feathery white clouds sailing across limitless sky invited us to take the voyage to the yonder lands. I returned with my heart full of hope, peace and faith.

All the pictures by Sunder Iyer.


.Lava is 32 kms from Kalimpong town. The closest railway station is NJP at a distance of 120kms. Taxis and shared jeeps are easily available there which takes about three 3.5 hours to reach lava. Bagdogra is the nearest airport.

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